Edge Says It’s Harder For Up-And-Coming Talent To Get Over In WWE
As a guest on The Kurt Angle Show, WWE Superstar Edge spoke about coming back to WWE while being in his mid-to-late 40s and how difficult it is to present stories in wrestling today. Edge mentioned how bad he feels for young talent because he believes it's more difficult today than ever for an up-and-comer to get over.
"I do appreciate the different set of circumstances that talent have to try to get themselves over in nowadays because I think it's more difficult," Edge said. "I really, really do and having come back now and seeing it first hand, I'm like wow, this is harder to try and present your story and present your character because the format has changed due to necessity.
"When I say more difficult, I mean for people coming into the industry now or coming into the company now. I have a body of work, so I don't have to go through those same challenges because they've seen it, they know it and I can already come in and I'm already established. I'm talking if I were starting out now, oh man, and it was difficult when I started out back then too. I feel for a lot of young folks and I really do say just pick my brain because I can't fully grasp what you're having to encounter because I'm not at that stage in my career at the same time but I can at least give you some guidelines and some tent-poles to help you feel like you're not drowning."
Edge was unsuccessful in becoming the WWE Universal Champion at last weekend's Money in the Bank pay-per-view after Seth Rollins interfered in the match and cost Edge his chance at the world championship setting up a match at SummerSlam between the two. During the match, Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik came out to help fend off the Usos from interfering in the match. The 47-year-old talked about Mysterio and how much fans will recognize his greatness once he's gone.
"Rey Mysterio, he gets credit, but it's still not the credit he deserves," Edge said. "I think because he's been so consistent for so long, that he's not appreciated to his full extent and I don't know if he will be fully appreciated until he retires. When there's no Rey Mysterio on the show, they'll go 'But wait? We need Rey.' I think as a writer, as a company, as a fan, as a colleague, although I think colleagues and peers appreciate him more than anyone else because they truly fully grasp and understand it. That dude, for his style and what he's done, to still even be in there at all let alone at the level that he's performing at, he just did a Hell in a Cell with Roman Reigns. The term legend is thrown around a lot, dudes a legend. He's a living legend and one day people will fully fully latch onto how special Rey Mysterio is."
"Think about all the hurdles and obstacles he's knocked down and how he changed an industry, because without him, I don't think Daniel Bryan breaks through. And a lot of talents like that, I think Rey Mysterio is the reason that can happen. He proved it can work and people would buy it and pay to see it."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.